We love eating and drinking, so don’t be surprised to find most of our stories on this page! From restaurants and cafes to home-cooked meals; from slick bars and underground drinking holes to that perfect martini at the bar of Casa de Romance – we talk about it all!
It’s Friday! That’s a relief, isn’t it? The weekend stretches before us like the far end of an Olympic swimming pool, threatening to drown us with its infinite possibilities. And so begins the first ordeal of our leisure time: where should we go for Friday drinks? Do you want comfy armchairs and a table? Is … Read more
Fed up with potato-based sauce-soakers for dinner? Chips, roast potatoes, baked spuds, mash… they can get a little bit dull; a bit run-of-the-mill. Well, here’s something that will change gears for you: polenta chips. Mrs Romance is very ‘meh’ when it comes to potato goods. I love the humble spud, so there’s always conflict here. … Read more
The traffic, the markets, the street hawkers, the grime; the food carts, the temples, the madness, the crime… it’s what makes this iconic South-East Asian capital buzz. It’s what you think of when you hear the word ‘Bangkok’. But way above the steam and noise of Bangkok’s sprawling, festering street life, serenity can be found. … Read more
What is it about a rooftop bar? Perhaps it’s drinking champagne with the city at your feet. Maybe it’s the feeling of the stars above you with a cocktail in your hand. Or it could just be the glamour of fine wine with your fine wife. Of course, it could just be that being up … Read more
If you haven’t been to the Clock Hotel before, you are either under-age or you’re not interested in pubs. This one’s a belter and shouldn’t be missed. Obviously a classic Aussie pub at its heart, the Clock has undergone many incarnations. From the outside, it’s clear that it’s always been a pub, with its classic … Read more
You know those occasional meals you have that, even as you’re eating them, you know you’ll remember them forever? That’s what happened to us in Pearl Beach recently. Pearl Beach is a little waterside town in the Central Coast of New South Wales, population 400 – give or take. These lucky few have on their … Read more
Has anyone noticed how microbreweries have become really popular in Australia recently? Is anyone really that happy about it? If someone asked me those questions, the answer would be a very loud ‘YES!’ One of the pubs doing great things with all things beer is the Harts Pub on the outer rim of the Rocks … Read more
Stuck for choices of where to eat? Can’t decide where you want to go? Well, Surry Hills is the worst for that – talk about culinary wood for the trees! This Sydney suburb has more eateries, restaurants and bars per square metre than any other area of Sydney. It was on a blogging friend’s recommendation … Read more
A pub crawl is a wonderful thing. You travel from bar to bar, pub to pub, a drink in each one… it’s a night of endurance, a night of attrition against sobriety. I saw something like this while in Tuscany. But as the Italian ‘youths’ (god, I feel old using that word!) bar hop, they … Read more
As I step down into the sunken courtyard of the Slip Inn I’m transported. It’s like I’ve pushed through the saloon doors of a Mexico City cantina at happy hour. The bustle of the crowd, the sparkle of lights in the trees, the DJ playing mellowed Latino pop covers… This is El Loco at Slip … Read more